A person exerts a force of 1.5 Newtons to push an object a distance of 2 meters. How much work is done on the object?

1 answer

Work is calculated using the formula:

\[ \text{Work} = \text{Force} \times \text{Distance} \times \cos(\theta) \]

where:

  • \(\text{Work}\) is measured in Joules (J),
  • \(\text{Force}\) is measured in Newtons (N),
  • \(\text{Distance}\) is measured in meters (m),
  • \(\theta\) is the angle between the force and the direction of motion.

If the force is applied in the same direction as the motion of the object, then \(\theta = 0^\circ\) and \(\cos(0) = 1\).

In this case:

  • Force \(F = 1.5 , \text{N}\)
  • Distance \(d = 2 , \text{m}\)
  • \(\theta = 0^\circ \implies \cos(0) = 1\)

Now, substituting the values into the work formula:

\[ \text{Work} = 1.5 , \text{N} \times 2 , \text{m} \times 1 \]

\[ \text{Work} = 3 , \text{J} \]

Thus, the work done on the object is \(3\) Joules.